The invention relates generally to power-driven conveyors and more particularly to modular plastic conveyor belts.
Modular plastic conveyor belts are widely used in various industries to covey products. Modular plastic conveyor belts are generally constructed of a series of rows of side-by-side belt modules. Hinge eyes along opposite ends of each row interleave with hinge eyes of consecutive rows. A hinge rod inserted in the interleaved hinge eyes connects the rows together at hinge joints into an endless conveyor belt loop.
Food products such as fruits and vegetables, especially after having been sliced, have a tendency to adhere to the upper surface of a conveyor belt due to suction between the products and the conveyor belt, the suction usually resulting from the natural juices of the food products, water, or other forms of moisture on the surface of the food products. This adhesion can make it difficult to offload the products from the conveyor belt. It has been found that the provision of small projections on the top surface of a conveyor belt can significantly reduce such adhesion by elevating the products being carried by the conveyor belt above the top surface of the conveyor belt and enabling air to pass beneath the products. This decreases the area of contact between the products and the conveyor belt and thereby reduces the overall adhesive force due to suction.